Chris' Top Picks

Hopfenweisse — Les Trois Mousquetaires

Hopfenweisse — Les Troise Mousquetaires

Following on the tail of Great Lakes Miami Weiss, is another one of these quirky over-hopped wheat beers.  This one from the excellent Quebecois brewer, Les Trois Mousquetaires.  Known for making some epic classic style beers, their Hopfenweisse showcases their ability to pave roads as well as pay homage.

Miami Weiss — Great Lakes Brewery, 2013

Miami Weiss — Great Lakes Brewery

The nature of the growth of the brewing scene, means that new styles are created, and variations on styles become their own.  This is why we now have pales ales, and American pale ales.  Brewers play with things, blend techniques, and tweak recipes.  Such is the case with Great Lakes Miami Weiss.  There are other […]

Lawnmower Arm Saison — Great Lakes Brewery

I think I had Lawnmower Arm Saison before.  I’m not really sure, but it sounded familiar.  But when I was at the Great Lakes Brewery in Etobicoke this week, and I saw it, as a barrel-aged, on sour cherries, incarnation, I had to give some a whirl.  Saisons often have influence from wild bacterias, like […]

Saison de la Canneberg — Great Lakes Brewery x Cassel Brewing

I love this. Here is what I know about this beer: Nothing.  I haven’t even texted Lackey for any insight. I’m pretty sure Saison de la Canneberg translates to “Cranberry Saison”, but that’s all I’ve got.  I know Great Lakes beers well, and I know Cassel is a new Nanobrewery in eastern Ontario. And that […]

Orange Peel Ale — Great Lakes Brewery

One of my earliest craft-beer memories from my journey into better beer, was seeing a tap handle that was an orange.  I don’t know why I was so enamoured by it, but I was.  It was, of course, the tap handle for Great Lakes Orange Peel Ale.  While I have always loved that handle, Orange […]

Crazy Canuck Pale Ale — Great Lakes Brewery

Well here’s (I think) a TorontoBeerBlog.com first: I’m re-reviewing a beer.  Actually it’s really not that big a deal, particularly when the beer in question is Crazy Canuck Pale Ale, and the people who make it is Great Lakes Brewery.  I’m not suggesting that Great Lakes is inconsistent (far from it), but particularly with a […]

Wizard Wolf Session Ale — Bellwoods Brewery

If you’ve ever asked me about beers and quality, one thing that I will often bang on about, is that fresh is best (at least in most cases).  So when I dropped by Bellwoods Brewery this morning to chat about some summer stuff, my answer to Mike’s question “Do you want some of the Wizard […]

Maverick and Gose — Amsterdam Brewing Co and Great Lakes Brewery

You might recall a few weeks back I wrote about how Maverick and Gose was about to become the first all-Ontario collaboration to hit the LCBO.  Well, after the  usual LCBO bureaucratic hiccup, it is rolling out! If you want me to save you some time, Gose is a style you can be forgiven for […]

Fracture Double IPA — Amsterdam Brewing Co.

I love hops, and I hope you do too.  In fact, I have three hop plants on order from Toronto Brewing as we speak.  I also have a hop vine at my mother’s house.  So, you would assume that I was a pretty big hop head.  Give me the biggest, brashest, hoppiest thing you can […]

Lady Stavoren Wheat Wine — Amsterdam Brewing Co.

It’s always nice when I’m handed a beer, that is a style I’m not familiar with.  I admit, it happens less these days then, say, three years ago.  But when it does, it reminds me how awesome the beer world is.  I felt this a while ago when Kody at Amsterdam grabbed me a bottle […]